Julie MacCarteehttps://juliemac.net
What's the big idea?
Fri, 22 Feb 2019 14:06:49 +0000 en
hourly
1 http://wordpress.com/https://s0.wp.com/i/buttonw-com.pngJulie MacCarteehttps://juliemac.net
Golden tips for hosting webinarshttps://juliemac.net/2017/11/27/golden-tips-for-hosting-webinars/
https://juliemac.net/2017/11/27/golden-tips-for-hosting-webinars/#respondMon, 27 Nov 2017 16:54:04 +0000http://juliemac.net/?p=788I recently served as a panelist for a “webinar on webinars,” hosted by the Global Forum on Agricultural Research (GFAR). The online event featured seven experts in managing and facilitating all types of webinars, mostly in the agricultural development space, and covered a range of discussion topics, including favorite platforms, getting the right people to attend, speaker prep, lessons learned from failure, and other golden tips for hosting webinars. Check out the recording (here and below) for a wealth of advice from those of us who have been there, done that!
]]>https://juliemac.net/2017/11/27/golden-tips-for-hosting-webinars/feed/0juliestudmacBuzzworthy: A new blog series on edible insects, agricultural development and food securityhttps://juliemac.net/2017/07/24/buzzworthy-a-new-blog-series-on-edible-insects-agricultural-development-and-food-security/
https://juliemac.net/2017/07/24/buzzworthy-a-new-blog-series-on-edible-insects-agricultural-development-and-food-security/#respondMon, 24 Jul 2017 19:55:27 +0000http://juliemac.net/?p=770This blog post was cross-posted from Agrilinks.

Have you heard the buzz about entomophagy, the practice of eating insects? It’s more common than you might think. Two billion people around the world consume insects as a regular part of their diet. Beetle larvae, caterpillars, grasshoppers, crickets, termites and stink bugs are particularly popular as edibles.

Insects are considered delicacies in some communities and provide an important nutritional boost to undernourished people in others. Rearing or harvesting insects requires very little feed, land and water compared with raising conventional livestock like cows and chickens, which is part of why insects are trending in conversations about sustainable food systems. In the years ahead, insects have great potential to fill an ever-growing need for protein, fatty acids and key minerals in the diets of both humans and livestock.

In this blog series, I will explore the relevance of entomophagy to global food security. I will address questions such as:

Who is eating insects? Where and why?

How nutritious are insects, and how might they contribute to sustainable diets?

What are some examples of insect-based livelihoods in developing countries?

Why should agricultural development practitioners care about edible insects, and what actions should we take?

For a quick introduction to entomophagy and its role in agricultural development, check out this six-minute lightning talk:

If you are up for a longer read, I highly recommend FAO’s 2013 report, “Edible Insects: Future Prospects for Food and Feed Security”. This report examines and summarizes the available research on entomophagy. It interweaves case studies, personal examples, caveats, and knowledge gaps to make the case for further attention to edible insects in a global food security context.

What questions do you have about edible insects? Share them in the comments below, or email me, and I will do my best to answer your questions in future blog posts!

]]>https://juliemac.net/2017/07/24/buzzworthy-a-new-blog-series-on-edible-insects-agricultural-development-and-food-security/feed/0juliestudmacBuzzworthy logoA blog is not the same thing as a blog posthttps://juliemac.net/2017/05/16/a-blog-is-not-the-same-thing-as-a-blog-post/
https://juliemac.net/2017/05/16/a-blog-is-not-the-same-thing-as-a-blog-post/#respondTue, 16 May 2017 20:30:28 +0000http://juliemac.net/?p=668I routinely see and hear the word “blog” used incorrectly – not just in conversation, but in official newsletters and publications. Let’s break out the old SAT analogy format to clarify the term:

blogis to blog post as magazine is to article

“I just wrote a blog about the health benefits of napping!” is akin to saying, “I submitted a magazine to National Geographic about the sleep habits of Zebras!”

When you use the word “blog”, you are referring to the entire web page that contains a list of entries, not to one of the entries themselves. A blog is a type of website, or a feature within a website. An individual entry on a blog is usually called a “blog post”. (With a space – not “blogpost”.) For example, right now, you are reading a blog post on my blog. (Not a blog on my blog.)

When you are referring to an individual, dated, authored entry within a blog, you have a few options, including: blog post ~ post ~ entry ~ article ~ piece

Just don’t call a blog post a blog!

Need more convincing? Here is how the word “blog” is defined by various outlets:

“a discussion or informational website published on the World Wide Web consisting of discrete, often informal diary-style text entries (“posts”)” (Wikipedia)

“a regular feature appearing as part of an online publication that typically relates to a particular topic and consists of articles and personal commentary by one or more authors” (Merriam-Webster)

A website, similar to an online journal, that includes chronological entries made by individuals. (BusinessDictionary)

I could not find a single source that defines a “blog” as the individual entry on a blog (aka a “blog post”). If you are able to find one, please share!

It’s true that colloquial usage can morph into correct usage, and maybe that’s what’s happening. But until then, please don’t confuse your readers by implying that you wrote an entire, multi-entry blog on “10 reasons to take a nap right now” when you only wrote a single blog post.

]]>https://juliemac.net/2017/05/16/a-blog-is-not-the-same-thing-as-a-blog-post/feed/0juliestudmacOysters: An ethical choicehttps://juliemac.net/2016/11/30/oysters-an-ethical-choice/
https://juliemac.net/2016/11/30/oysters-an-ethical-choice/#respondWed, 30 Nov 2016 22:13:01 +0000http://juliemaccartee.wordpress.com/?p=2Awhile back, Slate published a great article on why vegans should eat oysters. The author writes, “Oysters may be animals, but even the strictest ethicist should feel comfortable eating them by the boatload.”

From my observations, the main reasons that vegans choose not to eat animal products are: 1) animal products are implicated in the greatest portion of the environmental destruction linked with food production; 2) many animals suffer when they are raised and killed for food; and 3) there are clear health reasons to limit meat and dairy. Oysters, savvy bivalves that they are, stand firm against these three points.

First, oysters are good for the environment. They are listed as a “Best Choice” on the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch list. Most oysters are farmed, but unlike other farmed seafood, they require very few inputs. In fact, they can improve their local ecosystems by filtering the water. I used to think that oysters could actually break down or sequester chemical pollutants, but their main effect is to remove algae, sediment, and excess nutrients, which improves water clarity and the conditions for other organisms to thrive. They also build reef structures that provide habitat for other tiny organisms.

Second, oysters feel about as much pain as plants do. They have no central nervous system, and there is no evidence to suggest they suffer any more pain than, say, a portobello. Humans have labeled them animals within our classification system, but they clearly belong in a different category from creatures with brains.

Lastly, oysters are a good source of of zinc, iron, calcium, selenium, and Vitamin B12 – nutrients that are abundant in certain animal products but that vegans might have a harder time obtaining. I’d argue that a few oysters are a better choice than a multivitamin, considering that vitamin and mineral supplement pills may be ineffective or even harmful.

Writing this post definitely has me craving a half-dozen oysters on the half shell!

]]>https://juliemac.net/2016/11/30/oysters-an-ethical-choice/feed/0juliestudmacPhoto of OystersChoose Your Own Adventure, new mom edition!https://juliemac.net/2016/11/02/choose-your-own-adventure-new-mom-edition/
https://juliemac.net/2016/11/02/choose-your-own-adventure-new-mom-edition/#respondThu, 03 Nov 2016 00:12:17 +0000http://juliemac.net/?p=543The time is 2:00 pm. You are home on maternity leave with your 6-week-old baby, and your spouse is at work. The baby just fell asleep, but you’re not sure for how long she’ll stay that way. What do you do?

Option 1: Lay down for a nap yourself
—>Go to C, E, G, I, or K

Option 2: Take a shower for the first time in 3 days
—>Go to B, D, or F

Option 3: Do the dishes and clean your cluttered apartment
—>Go to H, L, or M

Option 4: Write overdue thank-you notes—>Go to A or J

A Wait, what? Thank-you notes should never trump sleep for an exhausted new mom! Go to Option 1. (However, people start to ask you if you received their gift, and you feel super guilty.)

BYou hear the baby crying mid-shower. So much for shaving your legs!

CCongratulations, you get a 1.5-hour nap! But consequently you miss the Amazon delivery of the size 1 diapers you desperately need.

DYou take an amazing, 20-minute shower. But you accidentally put way too much leave-in-conditioner in your hair, so it looks super greasy. You feel icky, but oh well, it’ll be 2 days ’til your next shower!

EYour baby wakes you after only 15 minutes. How could she be hungry again? Is this a growth spurt? Keep truckin’, mama…

FYou get in the shower, but only after you turn on the water do you discover that you’re out of soap. Also, you forgot a towel. It’s a drippy walk down the hall to the linen closet!

GYou lay down for a nap, but the baby is groaning and tossing and turning (even though she’s asleep). This makes it too hard for you to sleep, so you just lay there scrolling through Facebook. Oh well!

HYou tidy up your apartment, and feel great about it. But the next day, it’s suddenly even messier than before! You decide it’s okay to live in squalor for the time being.

IYou sleep for one hour (yay!) but it is fraught with dreams about accidentally leaving your baby at home unattended when you return to work.

JYou successfully take a 5-minute shower and write 2 thank you notes before the baby wakes. Unfortunately, you can’t remember who gave you 3 of your gifts…guess those people aren’t getting thank yous!

LYou empty the dishwasher but then say, F*ck it, I need a nap. Go to Option 1.

M You tidy up quickly, but forget to empty the bag in the diaper pail, which is 100% full when the baby has his afternoon poo-splosion.

]]>https://juliemac.net/2016/11/02/choose-your-own-adventure-new-mom-edition/feed/0juliestudmacSoup-er Simple: My top 6 soup spiceshttps://juliemac.net/2016/08/08/soup-er-simple-my-top-6-soup-spices/
https://juliemac.net/2016/08/08/soup-er-simple-my-top-6-soup-spices/#respondMon, 08 Aug 2016 23:44:50 +0000http://juliemac.net/?p=204I reached a point last year where my spice cabinet was overflowing with bottles and packets, and I knew I had to pare down. So I asked myself, what spices do I really use and love? When making soups (my specialty) I rely almost entirely on the following set of dried herbs and spices. I would recommend this set to any home cook who is building out – or paring down – their spice cabinet.

Five-spice powder – This is my mainstay for winter soups, especially anything based around sweet potatoes, squash, beef, or lamb. The blend of cinnamon, fennel seed, cloves, star anise, and white pepper imparts a rich, earthy sweetness to the soup. Be judicious with this powder – a little goes a long way.

Curry powder – A boring soup can be turned into a delightful curried concoction in a flash with the addition of a good curry powder. Different curry powders have different blends of ingredients and different spiciness levels, so you may need to try a few to find your favorite. Add a few tablespoons to the pot along with any vegetables you are simmering, a minute or two before adding in the soup liquid (stock, water, etc.) so the powder can “toast” and develop its flavor.

Cayenne pepper – A tiny shake of cayenne adds kick to all types of soups and enhances the natural flavor of the ingredients. Adding heat is also a great way to reduce sodium in your soups – believe me, you won’t miss the salt if your tongue is tantalized by capsaicin!

Thyme – Thyme lends brightness and grassiness to lighter summer soups. Add a few generous shakes of the dried spice, or throw in several whole sprigs of fresh thyme (and remove the stems later).

Bay Leaves – A single bay leaf lends aroma and depth to an entire pot of soup or stew. I throw one in to almost every soup I make! Toss it in at the beginning, once you add the liquid – it should simmer the whole time the pot is cooking. Pick it out before consuming.

Turmeric – It took me awhile to develop a taste for the flavor of turmeric on its own, but it’s really, really healthy, and easily disguised in hearty soups. Thus, turmeric is on the list mainly for health reasons! Add extra to curried soups, or toss some in with a beef stew, minestrone, or chili.

Honorable mentions: Salt & Pepper – Obviously salt is a requirement to bring out the flavor of the soup ingredients. But don’t overdo it, and remember that stocks, broths, and canned goods (tomatoes, beans, etc.) often already have a lot of sodium included. Black pepper, if used, should be freshly ground on top of the individual bowl, since it’s flavor gets lost when you stir it into the large cooking pot.

Do you agree with my list? What spices are your mainstays for soups and stews?

]]>https://juliemac.net/2016/08/08/soup-er-simple-my-top-6-soup-spices/feed/0juliestudmacIMG_1426Guide to my 5-month-old’s night-time wake-upshttps://juliemac.net/2016/08/04/guide-to-my-5-month-olds-night-time-wake-ups/
https://juliemac.net/2016/08/04/guide-to-my-5-month-olds-night-time-wake-ups/#respondThu, 04 Aug 2016 22:00:03 +0000http://juliemac.net/?p=582All moms know that enduring unpredictable night wakings is one of the biggest challenges of rearing offspring. On a whim, I created this chart to explain the wildly different thoughts running through my head based on on the time of night my sweet daughter wakes up. Enjoy! And please excuse the cursing – my brain loses its filter between 5 and 6 am.

]]>https://juliemac.net/2016/08/04/guide-to-my-5-month-olds-night-time-wake-ups/feed/0juliestudmacWakeUpGuideInsect photography with the iPhonehttps://juliemac.net/2016/05/11/insect-photography-with-the-iphone/
https://juliemac.net/2016/05/11/insect-photography-with-the-iphone/#respondWed, 11 May 2016 17:22:29 +0000http://juliemac.net/?p=444The iPhone is a great tool for insect photography due to the quick shutter speed and excellent close-up/macro focus ability. Here are a few photos I’ve taken. I’m thrilled with the gorgeous detail – insects are so beautiful! Click on an image to see a larger version.

Photos have been edited with Instagram. Photo credit: Julie MacCartee.

]]>https://juliemac.net/2016/05/11/insect-photography-with-the-iphone/feed/0juliestudmacSoup-er Simple October delight: Puréed sweet potato, apple, and chickpea souphttps://juliemac.net/2015/10/02/soup-er-simple-october-delight-pureed-sweet-potato-apple-and-chickpea-soup/
https://juliemac.net/2015/10/02/soup-er-simple-october-delight-pureed-sweet-potato-apple-and-chickpea-soup/#respondFri, 02 Oct 2015 14:30:00 +0000http://juliemac.net/?p=420It’s October, which means it’s time for pumpkin spice lattés, apple picking, and the re-emergence of comforting fall soups. I threw this simple soup together last night with a few basic ingredients, and my husband and I loved the result. So I thought I’d share!

This soup really couldn’t be much easier. It’s quick to prepare and doesn’t require a single perishable ingredient from the refrigerator. It’s a great way to use up mealy apples that have gone slightly past their prime. Serve it as an appetizer at a dinner party, or enjoy it for lunch in your house while wearing your favorite sweatshirt and slippers.

Add some high-heat oil to a large stainless steel pot, and turn heat up to medium. Add the chopped onion and a sprinkle of salt; cook until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer. Add the cubed sweet potato and apple, pour in some vegetable stock/broth or water to barely cover the ingredients, and bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover, and simmer for about 10 minutes, until the ingredients are soft and mushy. Rinse the chickpeas and add them to the pot. Add the olive oil or coconut oil, cinnamon, and five spice powder. Cover and cook for another five minutes to allow chickpeas to soften.

Purée the soup by using a hand blender directly in the pot (by far the easiest way!) or by transferring the soup to a blender or food processor. Add salt or additional spices to taste.

]]>https://juliemac.net/2015/10/02/soup-er-simple-october-delight-pureed-sweet-potato-apple-and-chickpea-soup/feed/0juliestudmacSweetPotatoSoup1SweetPotatoSoup2Aflatoxin infographics: Making a complex issue more digestiblehttps://juliemac.net/2015/09/07/aflatoxin-infographics/
https://juliemac.net/2015/09/07/aflatoxin-infographics/#respondMon, 07 Sep 2015 14:00:52 +0000http://juliemac.net/?p=431Aflatoxin – a naturally-occurring toxin produced by a fungus that infects certain crops – is getting a lot of attention right now in the agricultural development sphere.

I worked with a small team of USAID staff and implementing partners to develop an infographic on aflatoxin. Our goal was to create an eye-catching one-pager that conveys some core messages: 1) Aflatoxin is bad for human health; 2) Aflatoxin has global economic consequences; 3) Aflatoxin is a common/widespread problem; and 4) We can do something about it! This infographic has been shared with a variety of audiences to help spark interest in the topic and elevate it as a priority in international development.

Click on the image to view a larger version:

For another take on an aflatoxin infographic, here is a nice, concise image from the International Livestock Research Institute: